You’ll notice also that some of the ones that I’ve earmarked as my “favourites” from the bunch actually reflect an important principle (IMHO): Good design is about the concept – and not dependent on “frills” like colour or style. In fact, many of the better ones here would actually work even if they were depicted in black and white! That’s the strength of a well-designed brand logo!

I’ve been on both sides of the situation – as a client and as a consultant. Even with both points of view, I do feel that some of these are very exhorbitant and not wholly justifiable. What do you all think?

Logo redesigns are often a very touchy and sensitive subject matter – whether from a client or consultant’s point of view. Having been on both sides of the equation, I can definitely vouch that it is an exercise often mired in seemingly endless debate; pandering to individual tastes and opinions; and tacit personal agendas. So, when I saw this set of “famous” logo redesigns for 2010 via Graphic Design Blog, I was left thinking, “Gosh, I hope they didn’t pay too much for some of these! What’s the difference?!”

Out of all the ones listed, I could only find the following three as my favourites. For the rest, I was just left wondering what the difference really was. What do you think?

I always believe that a logo should be aesthetically pleasing – but also strategically symbolic. It’s meant to encapsulate what the brand is all about – whether in terms of its business, values or positioning (or all three!). Logos that are merely pretty, on the other hand, are nice… but I think they fade from memory pretty fast. That’s why, to me, the ultimate logo designs are both aesthetically pleasing and strategically symbolic. You must have both.

But I wonder, if you *had* to choose, which would you prefer – a good looking logo or a strategically symbolic one?